2K Games announces the
promised "fresh look at the long-awaited squad-based tactical shooter in
development at 2K Marin" with the announcement that the first-person shooter
formerly known as XCOM is being rebranded as a third-person shooter
called The Bureau: XCOM Declassified, saying the game will be released on
August 20th in North America and August 23rd in other territories, with
preorders are already underway. This rebranding was tipped by some new domains
spotted a couple of months ago,
and suspicions such a move was coming were reinforced when the game's
website recently went missing, but as recently indicated, they are not
severing ties with the XCOM universe. The switch to a third-person perspective
was also tipped last year, and is
touched upon in
an interview on games.on.net, where 2K Marin creative director Morgan Gray
talks about the project and these changes. The
game's new website is online,
here is some
concept art and a
live-action trailer, and here's word:

Windsor, UK – April 26, 2013 – 2K
and 2K Marin, makers of BioShock® 2, announced today that The Bureau: XCOM
Declassified will be released on August 20, 2013 in North America and August 23,
2013 internationally on the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from
Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Windows PC. XCOM:
Enemy Unknown, developed by Firaxis Games, dazzled turn-based strategy fans and
rebooted the classic franchise. Now The Bureau will deliver a new experience
within the XCOM universe.

Set in 1962 at the height of the Cold War, The Bureau tells the origin story of
the clandestine XCOM organisation’s first encounter with a mysterious and
devastating enemy. Originally established as America’s covert defense against
the Soviet Union, The Bureau must adapt and overcome a threat unlike anything
the world has faced before. As special agent William Carter, players will call
the shots and pull the trigger, leading their squad of agents in the high-stakes
secret war for humanity’s survival. Paramount to repelling the outside threat is
The Bureau’s ability to cover-up the enemy’s existence in order to prevent
worldwide panic.

“We’re thrilled about 2K Marin’s refined vision for The Bureau: XCOM
Declassified,” said Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K. “The game has evolved
through a creative and iterative development process, and the result is a
narrative-driven experience that is smart, engaging, and challenges players to
think tactically.”

“The Bureau tells the story of XCOM’s mysterious beginnings,” said Morgan Gray,
creative director at 2K Marin. “We’re expanding the universe with a declassified
tale of government conspiracy and heroic cover-ups told through third-person
tactical gameplay.”

In the spirit of the XCOM franchise, The Bureau’s calculated combat design
requires players to think and act tactically. The game’s third-person
perspective gives the player a sense of spatial awareness and grants them the
freedom to transition in and out Carter’s unique Battle Focus ability seamlessly
– heightening the tactical shooter action. The Bureau also fully embraces the
concept of permanent consequence. As our last line of defense, every command can
mean the difference between life and death for Carter, his squad and mankind.

“The team has been working hard to leverage core XCOM elements like tactical
decision-making and permanent death of squad mates in a purposeful way that
makes this a unique tactical shooter,” added Gray. “To that end, The Bureau will
challenge players unlike any other third-person tactical shooter.”

The Bureau: XCOM Declassified can be pre-ordered today at all participating
retailers. Those who pre-order will receive the Codebreakers side-mission as a
bonus. In this special campaign side-mission, a communications facility
responsible for intercepting and interpreting the enemy’s transmissions has gone
dark. Special Agent Carter and his squad must make contact with any remaining
personnel and investigate the incident.

The Bureau: XCOM Declassified is not yet rated by PEGI. For more information,
please visit Facebook, or the official web site:
http://erasethetruth.com.

Again, when a game is totally redesigned after being in development for years...that's not a good sign.

I don't think it's been totally redesigned. They changed camera perspectives and updated the art but it's still a squad-based shooter where you fight aliens based on black oil and geometric shapes. The first iteration already seemed like a first-person Mass Effect. The new camera just makes it seem even more like ME.

it was more than that. the original iteration had no research, no mission selection, etc. it was just a straight up on-rails shooter. they didn't start implementing the cool stuff until they heard the uproar from fans that everybody but them saw coming.

Again, when a game is totally redesigned after being in development for years...that's not a good sign.

I don't think it's been totally redesigned. They changed camera perspectives and updated the art but it's still a squad-based shooter where you fight aliens based on black oil and geometric shapes. The first iteration already seemed like a first-person Mass Effect. The new camera just makes it seem even more like ME.

Geez, most of you guys are so negative. I for one am looking forward to it. Regardless of whether its branded an XCOM game or not, the setting, ideas and what I saw of the gameplay actually looked pretty good.

Hopefully this can lead to a branching off of XCOM so they still make the turn-based-strategy ones (which I'm a fan of as well) as well as the more action oriented real-time-shooter ones like this.

I have to admit that for how down on this concept I was when it was first revealed, I give this rebranding top marks across the board. I like the live action trailer, I like the setting and atmosphere, I like the move to 3rd-person... hell, I even like how they moved the "XCOM" to after the hyphen indicating this is its own game with only a loose attachment to XCOM. To me that's perfect.

This game could still end up being an epic disaster but considering how I thought this project was all but dead and a lost cause, this new reveal has basically done the impossible: it has gotten me interested in this game for the first time. That makes it a big win in my book. Now to keep it going they really need to release some gameplay shots or trailers fast, especially since the release date is relatively close.

EDIT:

Bumpy wrote on Apr 26, 2013, 18:54:This thread makes me depressed.

Need some Prozac? I've got plenty.

“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” - Mahatma Gandhi

What I don't understand is why people were MORE interested in this as a first-person shooter. We already have plenty enough quality FPS games and it's pretty hard for games to distinguish themselves nowadays. Personally I'm more interested in it as a third-person shooter. If they can get a Mafia II style vibe with an alien twist then that sounds good to me.

That said, I really want to see some gameplay walkthroughs before I even consider this. I loved XCOM:EU but despite the decent trailer I haven't seen anything to warrant any confidence in it. Bioshock 2 was a pretty weak game and this title has already been significantly delayed. It would be nice if this were a decent game.

"You can check your anatomy all you want, and even though there may be normal variation, when it comes right down to it, this far inside the head it all looks the same. No, no, no, don't tug on that. You never know what it might be attached to."

Marvin T. Martian wrote on Apr 26, 2013, 17:01:Like others have said--changing it from 1st person to 3rd has moved it to being interested to don't care.and what Verno said--The original RB6 and Ghost Recon---miss them too!

Raven Shield was so awesome. I need to reinstall.

If Star Citizen was a child conceived in a night of passion, it would have started elementary school by now. -panbient

Jivaro wrote on Apr 26, 2013, 16:12:It's like they read all the complaints...agreed to take it back to the drawing board....

...and then completely ignored everything every X-COM fan said.

Rainbow Six: X-COM?

It might be good, but for the second time in a week I find myself asking the same question. "The fans wanted this?" Good luck to them, I am skeptical that this will appeal to shooter fans or X-Com fans. Particularly at a "AAA" price point.

If it actually *was* the original Rainbow Six only X-Com style it'd be rather badass.

Mission scenario would be fairly structured, but probably could go something like this:

Alien invasion report- Very few details, you have to pick from large equipment packages and among your men based on limited intel (which gets better as you research more.)

En Route for deployment- You get tactical schematics/photos/drawings on a napkin of the area, initial telemetry of enemy, identifying primary, secondary, and tertiary objectives (target types equal civilian protection, high value individual protection, gathering research items, alien capture/containment, bug hunt, assassination of a high value target, destruction of alien equipment, etc...) The idea being you can't do it all, and have to decide what is most important right now for both the organization and for the world long term.

On Site- Pre-Deployment- Surveillance has occurred for some time, establishing an idea of enemy count, patrol zones, hostages, trapped civilians, etc... Relevant data is reflective of what you decided your objectives are.

Execute- While the game would probably be one team due to console-itus, I'd dig mapping waypoints and breach missions for 2-3 teams simultaneously, as in the original Rainbow Six, especially as the game ramped up.

Post-mission you're rewarded based on which objectives you pursued, how well you achieved them, and what the current global situation is. Throw in some stress and perhaps some HP Lovecraftian sanity mechanics and you have to cycle your men in and out of combat and you have an intense, highly strategic and tactical 3rd person squad based shooter that I'd be *all* over.

It's like they read all the complaints...agreed to take it back to the drawing board....

...and then completely ignored everything every X-COM fan said.

Rainbow Six: X-COM?

It might be good, but for the second time in a week I find myself asking the same question. "The fans wanted this?" Good luck to them, I am skeptical that this will appeal to shooter fans or X-Com fans. Particularly at a "AAA" price point.